Tell-tale indicator



June 18, 1957 E. T. BRM/E 2,796,039

TELL-TALE INDICATOR Filed D90. 16, 1954 .Y A- we INVENTOR. Eau/p2@ Z 52m/5 United States Patent TELL-TALE. INDICATOR Edward T. Brave, Los Angeles, Calif.

Application December 16,- 1954, Serial No. 475,718

4 Claims. (Cl. 116-114) This invention relates to -a tell-tale device for indicating in a hallway leading to a room, whether a light in the room is turned on, or not.

The device is particularly useful in boarding houses and small hotels to enable a person living there to ascertain when he is at a distance down the hallway, whether a bathroom or toilet is occupied at the moment.

One ofthe objects of the invention is to provide an i' kthickness of the door at the sp-ot where the opening is located.

Further objects of the invention will be evident lafter a careful reading of the specification and an examination of the accompanying drawing.

The invention consists in the novel parts and combinations of parts to be described hereinafter and particularly set forth in the appended claims.

In the drawing:

Figure l is a front elevation of a closed door and its doorway, and indicating one of the devices embodying this invention mounted on the door.

Figure 2 is a horizontal section through the device taken abou-t along the plane of the line 2-2 of Figure l.

Figure 3 is a vertical section through a modified embodiment of the invention.

Figure 4 is `a vertical section taken on a transverse plane, parallel with the face of the door in the plane of the line 4-4 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a side elevation illustrating another embodiment of the invention.

Referring more particularly to the parts, in Figure l, a door such as la bathroom door 1 is shown, mounted in a doorway 2. The door. illustrated is of a common form, having a relatively thick rectangular frame 3 in which a central panel 4 is held.

A central panel such as this is relatively thin.

While the tell-tale device 5 of my invention may be mounted at any favorable point on the surface of the door upon which light rays from any source of illumination beyond the door are cast, Figure l of the drawing shows it mounted at a considerable elevation on the central panel 4 of the door.

In order to mount the device in the panel 4, I prefer to provide -a hole or opening 6 that may be drilled through the panel with an auger.

The tell-ta1e device 5 preferably includes two members which in the present instance may be identical with each other.

One of the advantageous features of this invention is .2,795,039 Patented June 18, 1957 ice ,I

that onv the outer side of the door it can present an extension projecting substantially at right angles to the plane ofthe door, so that the extension will be plainly visible to any one located in aV lateralposition with respect to the location of the door; fas for instance, ,when a person looking past'the location of the door, is standing ata consider-able distance from the door. `That is to say he might bev located at a considerable distance from the door, in along hall way.

Another feature of this invention is that in is preferred form, or embodiment, it is nota solidbody but iscomposed` of, or consists of, a shaped wall or thickness of material. This Wall may surround a 'chamber within it, or it may be a concavo-convex part instead, of a complete shell surrounding an inner chamber.

Each of these members is adapted to be molded of a plastic material such as a resinous plastic, or Vinylite. It is preferable to have both the members of a bright color such as red or green. Each of the members composing the assembly preferably includes a complete or partial shell-form body capable of refracting light through the opening. This may be a lens-form body indicated generally by the numeral 7, the principal axis of which coincides with the axis of the bore 6. This concavoconvex partial" shell-form Abody'7 preferably has a marginal' ilange 8, Vthe innerface 'of which is adapted to seat lagainst either face 9 of the panel when the member is in place, and is centered in the opening by an integral cylindrical sleeve 10 that lits neatly into the bore 6.

If desired, the diameter of the sleeves 10 may be made slightly oversize for the diameter of the opening 6. In that case, the holding eiect of the sleeves in the opening can be increased by forming a longitudinal slit (not illustrated) in each sleeve.

By reason of the lens-form -for the translucent bodies indicated generally -by the numeral 7 and the location of the anges 8, the bodies 7 project a considerable distance beyond the planes of the faces of the door. This improves the effectiveness of the lens-body lthat is on the inner side of the door, and also contributes substantially to the visibility of the translucent member that is on the outerside of the door, enabling it to be readily seen by a person standing at a point located at a considerable lateral distance from the door. In other words, it renders the tell-tale readily visible to a person approaching the location of the door from -a point away down a hallway.

If desired, the flanges 8 may be provided with eyes to receive small screws 11. Also the convex surfaces of the lens-form bodies 7 may be molded with small angular facets which may assist the visibility of the part of the device that is on the outside of the door. It is unnecessary to illustrate these facets.

As indicated in Figure 2, the body of each translucent member illustrated is preferably of concavo-convex form with a relatively thin wall. This gives a relatively short path for light rays passing through the material, as indicated by the arrows 12 in Figure 2. This increases the luminosity of the member that is on the outside of the door 4.

In Figures 3 and 4, I illustrate another embodiment of the invention in which an outer member 13 is employed, having a cylindrical collar 14 which may be inserted in the bore 15 through the door 16; and secured there by a ring 17 that its over the flange 18 on the part 13, seating on the outer face of the door.

An inner member with a lens form body 7a seating on the inner face of the door, refracts light falling upon it from the inside of the room, and directs the same into a hollow iin 19 of the outer member 13. This iin may have flat side faces 20 and tapers in thickness toward its tip 21; that is, it is substantially cuneiform in its longitudinal horizontal section (see Figure 4). In other words, at its I junction to the cylindrical collar 14 at has its greatest width, and its narrowest width is at its tip 21.

A ring 17a similar to the ring 17 is applied over the flange 8a of the body 7a to hold this part against the inner face of the door, and several fasteners such'as the bolt 22 spaced equidistant on the ring hold this part on the inner side of the door.

The side faces 20 present considerable area and are plainly visible to a person standing at a lateral distance from the door.

In Figure 5 I illustrate anotherl embodiment of the invention in which the tell-tale projection includes a cylindn'cal extension 23 mounted in an auger hole in the `door with its longitudinal axis in a horizontal position at lright angles to the plane of the door. This form, of course enables the outer member 23 of the tell-tale to present a vertical cross-section of considerable circular area.

This adapts it to receive a considerable beam of light and increased luminosity fsom a circular concavo-convex inner member 7 such as shown in Figures 2 and 3.

Many other embodiments of the invention may be resorted to Without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A tell-tale indicator for attachment to a door, having an opening in the same: Vcomprising a substantially kshe1lform translucent colored member projecting into the lighted room beyond the inner face of the door, and a substantially shell-form translucent colored member on the outer face of the door at said opening and projecting outwardly beyond the outer face of the door.

2. A tell-tale occupancy indicator for a room, said indicator comprising `an yattachment at an opening through a door at a doorway into the room, and including a translucent member supported on the inner side of the door `at said opening, capable of refracting rays from a light located on the same side of the door and passing through :the said opening; and a translucent refracting member having an extension projecting outwardly from the Iplane of the door along a line extending substantially at right angles to the plane of the door, and illuminated by the refracted rays from the rst named refracting member so as to be visible to a person standing `at a point located laterally from the door.

3. A tell-tale indicator `according to claim 2, in which the illuminated member on the outer face of the door is `of hollow cylindrical form with its axis disposed in a substantially horizontal plane. n

4. A tell-tale occupancy indicator according to claim 2, in which the said extension that is located on the outer side of the door is in the form of a hollow fin elongated in cross section in a vertical plane.

References Cited in the le of this patent v FOREIGN PATENTS` 18,058 y Great Britain Aug. 9, 1911 

